Mayor Warren weighs in on proposed moratorium

Thursday

Aug 21, 2014 at 6:26 PM

The TAB asked Mayor Setti Warren’s office whether or not he supports Alderman Sangiolo’s proposed moratorium on tearing down houses and replacing them with buildings more than 20 percent larger than the original.

The mayor’s response reads:

“I take these concerns very seriously. One of my main goals is to retain the character of Newton while continuing to offer diverse housing options. I believe the best way to achieve this is for the Planning Department to continue leading zoning reform to Phase 2 and begin master planning — not a moratorium on teardowns. We look forward to working with the Board of Alderman and the community as we begin this process in the coming months.” – Mayor Setti Warren

The moratorium is controversial. Doing nothing is controversial.

But what about individual property rights? How much control should one resident have over what another resident does to his property?

Jim Morrison

The TAB asked Mayor Setti Warren’s office whether or not he supports Alderman Sangiolo’s proposed moratorium on tearing down houses and replacing them with buildings more than 20 percent larger than the original.

The mayor’s response reads:

“I take these concerns very seriously. One of my main goals is to retain the character of Newton while continuing to offer diverse housing options. I believe the best way to achieve this is for the Planning Department to continue leading zoning reform to Phase 2 and begin master planning — not a moratorium on teardowns. We look forward to working with the Board of Alderman and the community as we begin this process in the coming months.” – Mayor Setti Warren

The moratorium is controversial. Doing nothing is controversial.
But what about individual property rights? How much control should one resident have over what another resident does to his property?